Russian attacks killed at least five people in Ukraine on Sunday, September 27, including two at a market outside Kyiv, according to Ukrainian authorities.
The strikes continued throughout the day, as is becoming increasingly common, after an overnight assault that started on the night of September 26.
Putin November 2022. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Putin on Direct Line Back in 2019. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Then, a separate Russian drone barrage began on Sunday evening and ran into the morning of Monday, September 28, according to the Ukrainian air force.
By Sunday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow had launched 277 attack drones of various types since Saturday, 155 of them jet-powered – and on Monday, he confirmed devastating strikes on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine building, too.
Market Strike Near Kyiv
A Russian drone struck a market in Sofiiska Borshchahivka, on Kyiv’s western outskirts, on Sunday, killing two people and injuring about 10, according to Ukrainian prosecutors.
Images posted online showed burning structures and vehicles, with debris scattered across the site.
The attack was one of several reported in and around the capital city that same day, with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko claiming that nine people were injured in the city, including a child, with six left hospitalized.
The mayor said that strikes on two high-rise apartment buildings caused extensive damage, with a fire breaking out in one building.
Damage was also reported near a playground and kindergarten.
Attacking Science Infrastructure
The attacks then carried into Monday and hit international headlines when the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was subject to a strike during the daytime.
A spokesperson for Ukraine’s State Emergency Service told a Euronews reporter at the scene that a jet-powered drone hit the building in central Kyiv at about 1:30 p.m. local time.
At least one person was killed, and six were injured at the academy, the emergency service said.
Flames and black smoke could be seen rising from the building as firefighters worked among the rubble in the courtyard of the building, and emergency workers searched for anyone trapped inside.
Air defenses also intercepted another attempted strike from above the area while the rescue operation was underway, according to Euronews.
The academy wasn’t the only target, either – it was one of several sites hit in Kyiv on Monday.
Reuters reported that a pharmaceutical company, gas stations, and a medical facility were also struck, while Mayor Klitschko said that Russian attacks throughout the capital on Monday injured 19 people, six of whom were being treated in hospitals.
Strikes also hit outside of the capital city.
In Dnipro, a Russian drone struck a business center during working hours and killed three people.
A fire reportedly broke out, and rescuers used an aerial ladder to bring people down from the building’s top floors.
Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that the site was surrounded by residential buildings, a library, offices, and a park.
Another individual was killed when a logistics office was struck in Synelnykove, southeast of Dnipro, Hanzha said.
What Zelenskyy Said
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared disturbing video footage of the strikes on social media, showing buildings completely engulfed in flames and falling apart.
“A Russian strike against the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. A rescue operation is underway: crews are putting out the fire and searching for people who may have been trapped inside. All services are deployed. Today in Kyiv, a pharmaceutical company and gas stations were also attacked; in Dnipro, a business center; and in other cities and regions, civilian facilities, businesses, and communications infrastructure were targeted as well. Sadly, people have been killed,” he said in the accompanying post.
“My condolences to their families and loved ones. Russia will definitely face a response to this. And every one of Ukraine’s partners must see from this terror, from these strikes, that supporting Ukraine means truly supporting people’s lives – supporting the principle that terror must never be normalized, anywhere. Russia must be held accountable for all of this and face real consequences. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine!” he continued.
In a separate statement, Zelenskyy said that Russia has been attacking Ukrainian regions “throughout the night and into the morning,” noting a “brutal strike on a high-rise apartment building” in Kharkiv, leaving the second and fourth floors partially destroyed.
“As of now, dozens of people have been reported injured.
The strike on Kharkiv alone resulted in 28 people being injured, including nine children.
Tragically, lives have been lost.
Two people were killed in the Kyiv region, one of them a citizen of Azerbaijan. My condolences to their families and loved ones,” he said.
The Scale of the Attacks
Ukraine’s air force said that Russia launched 165 drones between Sunday evening and Monday morning, including 79 jet-powered aircraft.
By 7 am Monday, Ukrainian defenses had reportedly downed or suppressed a total of 112.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
